Phonograph record adapter



Feb. 14, 1961 M. J. H. sTAAR PHONOGRAPH RECORD ADAPTER Filed May 21, 1956 lIIIIIIH vthe small diameter spindle.

United States Patent PHONDGRAPH RECORD ADAPTER Marcel Jules Helene Staar, 30 Square du Solbosch. Brussels, Ixelles, Belgium Filed May 21, 1956, Ser. No. 585,074

Claims priority, application Belgium Sept. 1,7, 1955 '4 Claims. (Cl. 274-10) This invention relates to phonograph apparatus and more particularly an adapter assembly enabling standard record players to accommodate and play phonograph records made with center holes of different diameters.

Standard record players ordinarily are equipped with a drive for operating the record turntable selectively at 331/3 r.p.rn., 78 rpm., and 45 rpm., and have a small diameter spindle for playing 331/3 r.p.m. and 78 r.p.m. phonograph records made with small diameter center holes. So-called 45 rpm. records, phonograph records made with large diameter center holes, may be played on the standard player by employing an oversize adapter for centering the records on the turntable, or by inserting a composition disk in the center hole of the record, the disk having a central aperture of the size of The latter method has generally been found unsatisfactory by reason of the inconvenience and short life of the insert, while the former method as conventionally applied although satisfactory has certain important disadvantages. Certain of these disadvantages result by reason of the fact that in order to incorporate record change mechanism in the apparatus it is customary to form the adapter in two parts. The upper part or head is held against rotation to support a stack of records and rests on the lower part or centering boss which is carried by and turns with the turntable. in addition to supporting the record stackthe upper part or head ordinarily contains the record change mechanism for releasing the records individually from the stack onto the turntable.

ln the normal arrangement considerable frict1on 1s experienced between the contacting surfaces of the twof parts of the adapter, exerting a drag against the centering boss. Due to this force and difficulties of alignment, the centering boss driven by the turntable may be turning out of synchronism and the records likewise may be turning at what amounts to non-uniform speed, seriously aiecting,V

the fidelity of reproduction.

lt is an object of this invention to provide an adapter assembly of this type, but one where the means for receiving, guiding and centering on the turntable records released individually from a record stack, is carried on the turntable and operates independently or" but in conjunction with' the means supporting the stack of records above the turntable so that the assembly imposes no. rictional drag on the rotation. Y Y Y lt is a further Yobject to provide a record turntable turntable to affect 4its speedvof assembly having means for accurately centering Vrecords made with center holes of-dilerent diameters.

VArwther object is to provide an adapter assemblyi" enabling the playing of such records on a standard record player, which .is attached to the `record turntablefand islV :capable-of being placed `in two positions, a-rst position f Y eased and arranged greatly.fariaccuratelyisenterns 011 n er holes, and afsecond-apositioni hidden" below the ,iurfasefof Vthe turntable whereas not to Vinterfere wittltle Atilratahle rrpmf regards made-with latssstliamsfsr playing of 331/3 r.p.m. and 78 r.p.m. records made with small diameter center holes. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide an adapter assembly enabling the playing on standard record players of 45 r.p.m. records having large diameter center holes, embodying means for supporting the records in a stack above the record turntable, receiving and guiding the records as they are released individually to descend onto the turntable, and accurately centering the records on the turntable to enable the records to be turned in perfect synchronism with the table to obtain highest iidelity of reproduction, where said assembly is unitary and may be removed from or placed in the record player apparatus at will.

The objects of the invention thus generally set forth, together with other objects and ancillary advantages are obtained `by the construction and arrangement shown by way of illustration by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation View illustrating a record player for playing records made with center holes of different diameters; and

lg. 2 is a similar side elevation view illustrating the bottom record Vfrom a stack dropping toward the turntable.

While the invention is susceptible of Various modifications and alternative constructions as will be evident by the drawings which show and the following description which describes in detail several different forms the invention may take, it is to be understood that it is not thereby intended to limit the invention tothe specific forms disclosed. 0n the contrary it is intended to cover all moditcations, alternative constructions and equivalents fal-ling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in Figs. -1 and 2 there is shown for 4purpose of illustration a record player apparatus embodying a turntable l0 and a record spindle l, `adapted to receive and play phonograph Vrecords having small diameter center holes.

Vsmall diameter center holes, while the 45 r.p.m. records,

although having a substantially smaller outside diameter are made with large diameter center holes. Standard recordplayer apparatus is constructed to accommodate and play all three types of records. Accordingly, drive .mechanism is provided for operating the turntable selectively at three speeds, and the apparatus usually has a small diameter spindle for use with the records having small diameter center holes.y In addition there is ordi- 'narily provided yas an attachment, an adapter assembly which may be placed on the record turntable for -accommodating the player to receive and play the45 12pm.

Y rpm records. ln the particular apparatus illustrated, the

records.

Assshown in Figs- 1 and 2, the record spindle 11 is a small diameter spindle used for playing both 331/3 and 78 spindle-1 1 is non-rotatably supportedrto extend upwardly throughva central aperture 14 in the turntable 10 and provides -nj1eans for supporting a stacker" such records above the turntable. The upper part l5 of` the spindle normally .i serres to support the stack and has Va notch 16 on which 'Y rthe-iliottom\ record inthe stack rests. Contained within Ythis llaremovable elements Vof a record change rnechanis'rdfnotpdetailed in the yfigures forpurposes of clartrol member 17 which is engageable with a lever 18one of the elements of the record change mechanism and extending from within the spindle 11. A spindle constructed in accordance with the foregoingriscillustrated and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 586,297, tiled May 2l, 1956, and entitled Spindle Assembly for Record Changer Apparatus,

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, to adapt this record player apapratus for playing 45 r.p.m. records,

` phonograph records made with large diameter center holes, an adapter assembly 12 is provided, in the present instance embodying separate parts making up a complete assembly.

For supporting the records above the turntable, the adapter assembly 12 includes an upper part of head 19 haying'anioutside diameter slightly undersize with relation to the diameter of the center hole of the records. Thus the records may easily slide about the head 19, which is accommodated on and carried by the spindle 11 and has on opposite sides blades pivotally mounted to be movable into and out of a recess opening to the Voutside ofthe head, and when positioned outside the head as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, presenting a at upper surface 21 on which the records in the stack may rest.

In the illustrative form of the invention depicted in Figs. l and 2, the head part 19 of the adapter assembly is supported above the record turntable on the non-rotatable spindle 11, and thus is likewise held against rotation. By actuating the control member 17 and by means of the record change mechanism contained Within the spindle and connected to the blades 20, the records in the stack may be individually released to drop toward the turntableV 10.

Means are carried by the turntable and independent of the head part 19 ofthe adapter assembly for receiving,

-guiding and centering on the turntable the records so released from the stack. Rigid with the turntable 1B and concentric with the spindle 11, is a ring or spider 2S housed `Within a recess 26 formed centrally within the turntable 10. A plurality of arms 27 are pivotally mounted on the ring by means of pins 28 pressed into place in openl Va horizontal position shown in dotted lines in this same figure, where they are disposed below the upper surface i 31 of the turntable 10. The arms 27 are held erect without additional means for locking them in place, by the resistance topivotal movement aorded by the inner faces of the lugs 29 bearing against the sides of the arms,

Aalthough such additionalv means for holding the arms erect 'may be employed, if desired.

bottom record is then released from the stack by means of the control member 17 and the record change mechanism, to allow the record to descend toward the turntable 10. The record as it descends is received on the arms 27 and guided toward the turntable, iinally assuming a position on the turntable where the record may be played. e

The adapter assembly of this invention enables the playing of records having large diameter center holes on standard record player apparatus equipped with a small diameter spindle. Furthermore, the adapter assembly of the invention is inexpensive to manufacture, simple, precise in operation, and obtains highest iidelity of reproduction in the playing of records by standard record player apparatus.

Although the invention has been described speciiically in connection with enabling the playing on standard record player apparatus of 45 r.p.m. phonograph records, it will be understood that .the invention may be more broadly characterized as enabling the playing of records made with center holes of different diameters. Furthermore, while it is conventional in standard apparatus today to incorporate record change mechanism within the small diameter spindle, and releasing by means of such mechanism records supported in a stack, the record Y change mechanism may if desired be placed on an as- The upper outside corners 32 of the arms 27, as viewed Y in'Fig. 1, are chamfered 'to present upwardly directed inchnedsurfaces. Accordingly, these arms 27 when erect vserve to receive and guide toward the turntable a recordg,V released from the stack. The arms 27 also serve to center the records on the turntable. For this purpose, the arms *"27 are disposed equidistantly aboutthe spindle 11, and;A thus thercentral axis of the turntable,vandY are spaced to engage the edge bordering the center hole ofthe record Y v when' the record is accurately centered. So positioned,

the arms 2K7 define a cylindrcal surface having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the center hole of the s Y record Y'to enable the `records to slide vertically/down- 'wardlyr about the assemblage of armsto rest on the turnf 7o In the operation of a standardlrecord player equipped y with'the adapter assembly illustratedin Figs. 1'and'2,a

stack `of 45' r.p.m. records is placed-jdn thehead part of t the a ssembly, and the'arms27 liftedfromtheir horizontal Y i position to assume Vthe erect' position shown in Fig. The.

sociated part of the apparatus and operated independently of the smallY diameter spindle. Such modifications may be effected without departing-from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a phonograph record player having a record turntable and a non-rotatable small diameter spindle extending above the turntable for stacking and playing phonograph records having like sized center holes, an adapter Yassembly enabling the playing of phonograph records Vhaving relatively large diameter center holes, comprising,

in combination, a head adapted to be carried on the spindle for supporting a stack of such records above the turntable, said turntable having a recess in the center thereof, and a plurality of arms pivotally mounted Yin the recess and disposed equidistantly about the central axis of the turn-table, said arms being pivotable from a rst l assembly enabling theV playing of phonograph records having relatively large diameter center holes, comprising,

(in combination, a head adaptedrto be carried on the spindle for supporting a stack of such records above the turntable, said turntable having a recess in the center thereof, and a plurality of arms pivotally mounted in the recess and disposed about the centralV axis of the turntable, said arms` being pivotable from'a'frst position in theV recess below-the turntableA surface so that records having small diameter centerholes may beV played on-the turntable, to a second erect position standing below the head and defining afcylindrical surface of ardiamete'r less than theY center holes of the Vstacked records for receiving, guiding and centering on Vtlieturntable records released from the stack, s o'that the latter records may be played fon theturn'table. ,Y t Y Y y f 3. In a phonograph'record player having a-record turntablepand ajno'n-rotatablesmall diameter` spindle. e1;-

Y'-tenlin'gabove, the .tu'rntable -for vstacking' andV playingI .Y Y phonograph records having small diameterfc'enter holes,

and ladapter-f,assemblyehabling'ithe,playing of'phonographn records havingrelativelyflarge diameter'center holes comprising, in combination, a head adapted to be carried on the spindle for supporting a stack of records above the turntable, said turntable having a recess 1n the center thereof, a plurality of arms pivotally mounted at their base in the recess and disposed about the centra axis of the turntable, said arms haw'ng a first position in the recess below the turntable surface so that records having small diameter center holes may be played on the turntable, and means defining a second erect position for said arms wherein the latter stands below the head dening a cylindrical surface for receiving, guiding and centering on the turntable records released from the stack so that the latter records may be played on the turntable.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 further characterized by means carried by the turntable and cooperating with the base of said arms for holding the latter in one position or the other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,651,523 Dale Sept. 8, 1953 2,666,647 Dale Jan. 19, 1954 2,666,648 Dale Jan. 19, 1954 2,682,412 Carlson June 29, 1954 2,761,687 Da Costa Sept. 4, 1956 2,762,627 Johnson Sept. 11, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No; 2,971,763 February 141, 1961 Marcel Jules Helene Staar 1t is hereby certfied'that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and 'that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column lY line 74(i for "and adapter read w an adapter Signed and sealed this 18th day of July 1961.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER i DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

